Taking responsibility

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After the revelations of Woodstock Police Sgt. Chip Amati’s deplorable, predatory actions, every local leader did what politicians do: pass the buck.

Every local leader that is except state Sen. Pam Althoff and state Rep. Jack Franks, whose bill to expand the state’s criminal laws to explicitly prohibit Amati’s actions recently was signed into law by the governor.

That pair of legislators regularly demonstrates how politics can be bipartisan, civil and concerned with listened to constituents and delivering on their behalf. This example is but one of many.

Amati reportedly texted a 12-year-old girl, requesting “sexy pictures,” but he wasn’t fired and the department went so far to publicly defend his service. The mayor did not intervene and questionably laid blame at the feet of the state’s laws and the state’s attorney not pressing charges, effectively throwing his hands up in the air and walking away from a case that rocked our community.

Althoff and Franks, however, in action entirely consistent with those elected to make the laws, saw this tragedy as an opportunity to express that our community never will accept anysituation like this again in the future.

Their legislation was a sign to all of the local officials that passed the buck on this one that someone was taking responsibility. It is sad that doing so is commendable.

Taking responsibility for the community one serves used to be commonplace amongst public servants.